Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, London Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
866,032 games: White 54.3% / Draw 3.6% / Black 42.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 793,536794K | ||
| 63,26963K | ||
| 7,3457,345 | ||
| 1,5411,541 | ||
| 142142 | ||
| 7575 | ||
| 6262 | ||
| 6262 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.03 The position is about equal
Best play: 5. c3 dxc3 6. bxc3 Ba5 7. O-O Bb6 8. a4 d6 9. Nbd2 a6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for Black: Black scores 43% under 1400, 47% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 158K | |
| 1400–1799 | 554K | |
| 1800–2199 | 499K | |
| 2200 and up | 34K | |
| Masters, over the board | 130 |
Master games
- Mamedov, R. – Matlakov, M.
- Mastrovasilis, D. – Vidit, S.
- Fawzy, A. – Adhiban, B.
- Yang, Z. – Yu Yangyi
- Karacsonyi, G. – Zilka, S.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, London Defense (ECO C44, Open Games) is a gambit in the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bb4+ (4 moves).
In 866,032 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 54.3%, Black 42.1% and 3.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. c3, in 92% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played are Scotch Game: Cochrane Variation and Scotch Game: Hanneken Variation.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, London Defense
The most played answer, 5. c3, also scores best for White: 56.7%, with White winning 55.0% and Black 41.6% of 794K games. Of the main answers, 5. Bd2 scores lowest: 49.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5. c3.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, London Defense has gained ground since 2016: 0.043% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.024%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.024% | 8,680 |
| 2017 | 0.026% | 14,199 |
| 2018 | 0.027% | 20,866 |
| 2019 | 0.025% | 31,802 |
| 2020 | 0.025% | 72,244 |
| 2021 | 0.027% | 107,454 |
| 2022 | 0.032% | 121,075 |
| 2023 | 0.036% | 134,124 |
| 2024 | 0.039% | 140,579 |
| 2025 | 0.043% | 148,098 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.046% | 50,030 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Variations (2)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, London Defense (C44)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scotch-game-scotch-gambit-london-defense